How often are students overdosing at school in FCPS HS? Is the problem overblown by media?

[Anonymous]

The vast majority of ODs are accidental! Test strips are cheap, evidence based and easy to distribute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All FCPS have Narcan and staff trained to administer it.

Even elementary schools.

Yes, so can we get numbers on how often it is administered?

No. This is not going to be released to the public. Period.

Why? Why can’t FCPS say this year we administer x number of doses? Seems simple and easy for accounting purposes. It would give an indication of the problem’s scope within the district. Not disclosing it will lead to wild assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fcps.edu/OpioidMeeting

From this website:

“ In Fairfax County, there were four fatal overdoses within the 0-17 year old age group in 2022. ”


So incredible tragic. Unclear where these deaths occurred.

So then the issue is media hype. 4 out of what, 184,000? That’s nothing except to the individual families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The vast majority of ODs are accidental! Test strips are cheap, evidence based and easy to distribute.

And middle schoolers who don’t regularly shower or make their beds or clean their rooms are going to do this? Maybe they’ll ask Ms. smith to do the test for them before they try a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All FCPS have Narcan and staff trained to administer it.

Even elementary schools.

Yes, so can we get numbers on how often it is administered?

No. This is not going to be released to the public. Period.

Why? Why can’t FCPS say this year we administer x number of doses? Seems simple and easy for accounting purposes. It would give an indication of the problem’s scope within the district. Not disclosing it will lead to wild assumptions.

My uneducated guess is that administering Narcan is probably considered an emergency healthcare treatment, like using an Epipen, and you are not allowed to publish that specific info to the public because of privacy laws and such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fcps.edu/OpioidMeeting

From this website:

“ In Fairfax County, there were four fatal overdoses within the 0-17 year old age group in 2022. ”


So incredible tragic. Unclear where these deaths occurred.

So then the issue is media hype. 4 out of what, 184,000? That’s nothing except to the individual families.

This is only the kids who died. Multiple it by at least 20-30 times that to get the number that ODed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The vast majority of ODs are accidental! Test strips are cheap, evidence based and easy to distribute.

And middle schoolers who don’t regularly shower or make their beds or clean their rooms are going to do this? Maybe they’ll ask Ms. smith to do the test for them before they try a little.

We give students condoms knowing that they will make poor choices.

Same should apply to test strips.

[Anonymous]

Plus, like an EpiPen, you use it when you SUSPECT an allergic reaction. In this case you are SUSPECTING a drug overdose. It could very well end up being something else and the data would be skewed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All FCPS have Narcan and staff trained to administer it.

Even elementary schools.

Yes, so can we get numbers on how often it is administered?

No. This is not going to be released to the public. Period.

Why? Why can’t FCPS say this year we administer x number of doses? Seems simple and easy for accounting purposes. It would give an indication of the problem’s scope within the district. Not disclosing it will lead to wild assumptions.

My uneducated guess is that administering Narcan is probably considered an emergency healthcare treatment, like using an Epipen, and you are not allowed to publish that specific info to the public because of privacy laws and such.

OMG. A summary at the district level of how many doses were dispensed will not violate privacy at any level.

January x doses acquired, y doses administered
February x , y
March x , y

No personally identifiable info needs to be shared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fcps.edu/OpioidMeeting

From this website:

“ In Fairfax County, there were four fatal overdoses within the 0-17 year old age group in 2022. ”


So incredible tragic. Unclear where these deaths occurred.

So then the issue is media hype. 4 out of what, 184,000? That’s nothing except to the individual families.

This is only the kids who died. Multiple it by at least 20-30 times that to get the number that ODed.

Sure, but that’s the problem. How many OD’d at schools / on school grounds within FCPS? Until you show the numbers we can say it’s hype or the sky is falling. Show us the actual data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plus, like an EpiPen, you use it when you SUSPECT an allergic reaction. In this case you are SUSPECTING a drug overdose. It could very well end up being something else and the data would be skewed.

It is skewed now. Right now we have school people saying trust us it is a problem whole some parents saying not at our school bc we never hear any incidents being reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus, like an EpiPen, you use it when you SUSPECT an allergic reaction. In this case you are SUSPECTING a drug overdose. It could very well end up being something else and the data would be skewed.

It is skewed now. Right now we have school people saying trust us it is a problem whole some parents saying not at our school bc we never hear any incidents being reported.

Madison and Oakton share a "specialized" (not guidance counselor or social worker) drug counselor. Imagine there are enough cases at school to keep him employed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus, like an EpiPen, you use it when you SUSPECT an allergic reaction. In this case you are SUSPECTING a drug overdose. It could very well end up being something else and the data would be skewed.

It is skewed now. Right now we have school people saying trust us it is a problem whole some parents saying not at our school bc we never hear any incidents being reported.

Madison and Oakton share a "specialized" (not guidance counselor or social worker) drug counselor. Imagine there are enough cases at school to keep him employed.

All FCPS high schools have or share a SAPS. I think it stands for substance abuse prevention specialist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus, like an EpiPen, you use it when you SUSPECT an allergic reaction. In this case you are SUSPECTING a drug overdose. It could very well end up being something else and the data would be skewed.

It is skewed now. Right now we have school people saying trust us it is a problem whole some parents saying not at our school bc we never hear any incidents being reported.

Madison and Oakton share a "specialized" (not guidance counselor or social worker) drug counselor. Imagine there are enough cases at school to keep him employed.

All FCPS high schools have or share a SAPS. I think it stands for substance abuse prevention specialist.

Ours only works at one school but never seems to leave their office all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plus, like an EpiPen, you use it when you SUSPECT an allergic reaction. In this case you are SUSPECTING a drug overdose. It could very well end up being something else and the data would be skewed.

It is skewed now. Right now we have school people saying trust us it is a problem whole some parents saying not at our school bc we never hear any incidents being reported.

Madison and Oakton share a "specialized" (not guidance counselor or social worker) drug counselor. Imagine there are enough cases at school to keep him employed.

Maybe? How many cases does it take to justify getting and maintaining one? Maybe the schools are afraid of a boogie man that doesn’t exist.